Easy Rules for Baking Success

Posted on August 6, 2010


This pie's for you.

LBL loves to bake. Pies. Cakes. Cookies. Clay pots. You name it, she will bake it. Along the way, she has noted several rules that are really important for a successful result:

1. Read a recipe first and see what ingredients you still need before starting to bake.  This will avoid the following when you are already half way through:
“Oh, I don’t have a cheesecloth/mandoline/rehruckenform” or
“Oh, I am out of sugar/flour/salt.”

2. Make a list of needed items before you go to the store.  Note: Your list will be useless you refer to #1 first.

3. Acquire a husband/partner who is either retired or unemployed and who owns a bicycle/scooter/motorcycle who can zip off numerous times to get ingredients that weren’t on your shopping list because you didn’t refer to #1 first.

4. Remember to thank husband/partner when he returns with the needed item instead of yelling “Oh, shit!” as he walks in the door because you see another item you need, because you didn’t refer to #1 first.

5. Items of same color cannot be used for substitutions, just because you didn’t refer to #1 first and because your husband/partner is taking a nap after his fourth trip to the store.

6. Calibrate your oven before starting. This has absolutely nothing to do with #1, but will assist your baking and might provide you with a big laugh over the discrepancy between what your oven thinks it is doing and what it is really doing.

7. Make sure oven door hinges work properly. This will prevent door coming off or opening in a way that prevents it from ever closing again. If this happens, wake up husband/partner and scream “Oh shit! The oven door came off again!” He/she may or may not assist.

8. Thank everyone graciously when they shower you with accolades at the gathering where you have provided truly world-class desserts. If necessary, step on husband/partner’s foot to prevent him from speaking.